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Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks NBL26 Round 14 Tips - Christmas Day Heater
The Sydney Kings will clash with the Illawarra Hawks in a highly anticipated Christmas Day matchup in the NBL25. Sydney, favored by 7.5 points, aims for their second victory against the Hawks in four scheduled games. Historically, Illawarra has excelled in Christmas clashes, yet this season, their performance has wavered. With an emphasis on fast-paced games, both teams are likely to score high. Kendric Davis, leading the Kings with an average of 28 points in recent games, is a player to watch. The game promises excitement with expectations of a scoring showcase.
- Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks expert predictions for Thursday’s Round 14 NBL matchup
- Tip-off is at 5:30 PM AEDT at Qudos Bank Arena
- Sydney Kings are favorites at -7.5 points against Illawarra Hawks.
- Kendric Davis is a standout with a 28 ppg average in recent games.
- Expect high pace and scoring; Sydney expected to cover and game total to go over.
Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks NBL26 Round 14 Tips
Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks NBL25 Round 14 Expert Tips
Christmas Day doesn’t get much better than the Freeway Series and cherry on top of the cake matchup between the Kings and Hawks.
- Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks NBL25 Round 14 Expert Tips
- Head to Head
- Last 5 Match Results
- Offensive & Defensive Rankings
- Sydney Kings Form & Team News
- Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News
- Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks Frequently Asked Questions
Sydney are -7.5 pt favourites and are the team tipped to take their 2nd win of the 4 scheduled matchups for NBL26 with the defending Champs. This matchup always produces fireworks so make sure the Christmas Ham is cut and the bevvies are cold.
Illawarra have won both of the Christmas Day matchups against Sydney. But they are a decidedly different team this season. They showed heart on Saturday losing to the 36ers by only 6 pts despite missing a bunch of cattle, but that determination isn’t a repeatable method for success.
What is repeatable is Kendric Davis’ scoring. He leads the Kings and is 2nd in the league in Scoring this season with 23.4 pts per game which elevates to 28 ppg over his last 4.
Illawarra have kept their opponents to the lowest FG% since the international break but because they push the pace, they are ranked 8th in opponent scoring, allowing 93.6 per game in that same span. Sydney are 3rd, allowing just 86 ppg to opponents.
The expectation is that both teams will be looking to put on a show in this one with fast pace and more scoring than defence. Take Sydney to cover and the Game Total to go Over. Kendric Davis has been unstoppable lately, take him for 25+ pts. Xavier Cooks to take 6+ boards is also a solid play.
- Illawarra have failed to cover this line in 8 of 12 games as losers this season.
- Both Christmas Day matchups between these teams have gone Over this total and Illawarra have the highest pace of any team in the league.
- Kendric Davis has scored 25+ in 2 of 4 games against Illawarra and is averaging 28 ppg in his last 4.
- Xavier Cooks has had 6+ rebounds in 4 of his last 5 games, averages 9.3 boards in his last 6 games against Illawarra and the Hawks are giving up the 2nd most rebounds to opponents since the international break.
Head to Head
Last 5 Match Results
| Date | Home Team | Score | Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/11/2025 | ILL | SYD 98-71 | SYD +3.0 | U 185.5 |
| 07/02/2025 | ILL | ILL 95-75 | ILL -4.0 | U 193.5 |
| 25/12/2024 | SYD | ILL 111-108 | ILL -1.5 | O 189.5 |
| 16/11/2024 | ILL | ILL 86-79 | ILL -2.0 | U 181.5 |
| 29/09/2024 | SYD | ILL 96-89 | ILL +5.5 | U 191.0 |
Offensive & Defensive Rankings
| SYD Off | Rank | Stat | Rank | ILL Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93.9 | 3 | PPG | 10 | 96.2 |
| 42.2 | 5 | RPG | 8 | 43.1 |
| 45.5% | 3 | FG% | 2 | 43.2% |
| 33.6% | 3 | 3P% | 9 | 33.7% |
| 8.9 | 1 | TOV | 9 | 10.4 |
| SYD Def | Rank | Stat | Rank | ILL Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.9 | 1 | PPG | 6 | 88.7 |
| 42.7 | 7 | RPG | 1 | 45 |
| 44.0% | 3 | FG% | 1 | 45.6% |
| 32.0% | 5 | 3P% | 8 | 31.1% |
| 13.7 | 3 | TOV | 10 | 14.9 |
Sydney Kings Form & Team News
The Kings are quietly going about their business this season. Last year they struggled on the big stage against the good teams. This season, they are winning in those exact spots.
They have taken 4 on the trot, laying waste to Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide in the process before beating up on the Taipans on Sunday 119-77. The team ranks 3rd in scoring on the season and they are now the number 1 ranked scoring defence, allowing just 85.9 ppg to opponents.
Kendric Davis is the league’s 2nd best scorer behind Bryce Cotton and the Kings commit the fewest turnovers of anyone in the NBL at just 8.9 per outing.
Illawarra Hawks Form & Team News
Illawarra are struggling through a low spot at the moment and despite missing a bunch of players in their meeting with Adelaide on the weekend, they still only lost by 6 pts. QJ Peterson stepped up to the plate leading all scorers with 21 pts on the night.
Illawarra have been consistently inconsistent this season, when their shooting is on then they have often won games and had big scores. When they are cold, they are real bad. Hope isn’t gone yet for the defending champs but they will need to start stringing wins together if they are any hope to reach playoffs and defend their title.
Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks start?
Tip-off between Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks is at 5:30 PM AEDT, Thursday, December 25
What channel is Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks on?
You can watch Sydney Kings vs Illawarra Hawks on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.
Verdict
Take Sydney to cover and the Game Total to go Over. Kendric Davis has been unstoppable lately, take him for 25+ pts. Xavier Cooks to take 6+ boards is also a solid play.
Sydney -7.5
Line
$1.90 - 2 Units
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Over 181.5
Game Total
$1.90 - 2 Units
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K Davis 25+
Points
$2.05 - 1 Unit
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X Cooks 6+
Rebounds
$1.76 - 1 Unit
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